Against Belief: The Usefulness of Explanatory Model Research In Medical Anthropology

Abstract

There is an emphasis in medical anthropology on eliciting explanatory models of illness and a number of instruments have been devised with this purpose in mind. These models may be fragmented and idiosyncratic. Language may not directly reflect concepts about illness. Explanations do not predict health-related actions. Health-seeking behaviour may be determined more by socio-political factors than by underlying models. Research into health behaviour requires both the elicitation of patients' explanations of illness and observation of what they actually do in practice. The relevance of rapid assessment techniques is discussed.